Career Yoga: Align with your soul work

Monday motivation is a great hashtag. The words of wisdom are (for the most part) like jumper cables to kick-start your week. It’s difficult, however, for many of us to get at the true meaning of the sentiment in 140 characters or amazing image or filtered snap. Getting motivated is easy. Staying motivated takes a healthy amount of self-knowledge. And practice. Over the past few weeks, I’ve shared four of the five principles that make up the practice of Career Yoga. These principles, balance, support, strength, and flexibility, have three key questions associated with them –

Balance:

How can I become more financially free?

How can I become more physically free?

How can I become more emotionally free?

Support:

How can I create healthier relationships with people who challenge me?

How can I create healthier relationships with people who support me?

How can I build a more developed network?

Strength:

What are my natural talents?

What am I curious about?

What moves me to tears?

Flexibility

Am I holding on to things I need to let go of?

Am I open to new options?

Am I willing to stretch?

The last and most important of the five principles is alignment. Before we answer the questions associated with this final principle, let me introduce you to the concepts of my remarkable work umbrella:

Unremarkable work is not sustainable emotionally and/or financially. You know you are in unremarkable work if you’re feeling drained most of the time. Remarkable work is work that offers both economic and emotional benefits. Time out for a gentle reminder that these benefits can only be defined for you by you. Your umbrella won’t be constructed of the same goals or rewards as anyone else’s.

Under the umbrella of remarkable work, there are two types of work – soul work and bridge work. Soul work is the best possible use of your passions and purpose. I believe everyone can figure out their own version of soul work if they’re willing to make the search a priority. Defining your soul work is the goal of Career Yoga and a key to mastering your own career.Bridge work is work that allows you to pursue your soul work. Sometimes bridge work provides the education you need to make your soul work a professional pursuit. At other times, this work provides financial support so you can pursue your vision of soul work. Sometimes it can provide both. For example, I have clients who know their soul work is to create their own businesses. The bridge to that is often working for another entrepreneur in a similar business to learn the ropes before moving out on their own.

Here are the questions related to alignment:

What is my soul work?

What is my bridge to soul work?

What am I willing to give up to get to my soul work?

I’d love to hear your answers. Feel free to comment here OR join us on Facebook. Let me know if you have any other insights or questions related to this Career Yoga Series.